Social Responsibility is good business - Aston Villa leads by example
Charles with Randy Lerner, owner of Aston Villa FC and the Cleveland Browns, and Richard FitzGerald, CEO of Aston Villa.
I spent this evening as a guest of Richard FitzGerald at Aston Villa Football Club. Villa has always been my team, and it was exciting to see the team play Everton this evening in a 1-1 draw. The second half was full of lively incident, and it was an extraordinary experience to sit in the directors box as a guest of the club just seats away from such footballing legends as Mark Hughes and Stuart Pearce.
Sport has the capacity to play a really powerful part in setting an example for good business. The new owner of Aston Villa, and lifelong Villa fan, Randy Lerner, has recognised this and has proved the case in his American football team, the Cleveland Browns. Having bought Aston Villa, Mr Lerner has made clear his determination that the Club should be a beacon leading the way in social responsibility.
There is a real buzz of excitement and anticipation surrounding Villa Park now under Mr Lerner's leadership. The fans are in great voice, attending a game is safe and enjoyable, and its a healthy place to spend a few hours cheering the team. As the Club celebrates the 25th Anniversary of its greatest achievement, winning the European Cup in 1982, there is something special in the air at Aston Villa.
But what interests and inspires me most is that Randy Lerner and the Chief Executive Richard FitzGerald speak so determinedly about football being a force for good in society. It is their ambition that Aston Villa should be the first carbon neutral football club in the UK; so recycling waste after matches is a priority. They are determined to be good equal opportunities employers, and to set an example for young people to achieve their ambitions and strive to be the best that they can be. And they are determined that the football club both on and off the field of play reflects the cosmopolitan nature of Birmingham.
There is a tremendous pride that is self-evident at Villa Park. Randy Lerner and Richard FitzGerald are determined that Aston Villa should be a great ambassador for Birmingham, for the West Midlands region, and for Britain in the wider world. Its a great business model, and one which proves that good business is good for business, and good for society.
